The present invention relates to a vehicle interior panel having a compartment and a swing door to close and open the compartment.
A vehicle front interior panel having a compartment, also known as a xe2x80x9cglove box,xe2x80x9d can be found in most vehicles today. Typically located adjacent a front passenger seat in the vehicle, the glove box of the front interior panel has a door panel which pivots between closed and open positions. From the closed position to the open position, the door panel is generally required to move in the direction toward the passenger seat. In many situations, the door panel in the open position may compromise space occupied by an occupant or may even contact the occupant""s body situated in the passenger seat. The legs or the body of the occupant may contact the door panel when moving from the closed to the open position. Thus, improvements may be desirable.
The present invention generally provides a vehicle interior panel having a compartment and a swing door which swings from a closed position to an open position without compromising the space of a passenger. The present invention includes the vehicle interior panel including a panel body having the compartment and an opening at a face of the panel body for access to the compartment. The swing door is engageable with the face of the panel body to close the opening. The swing door is configured to pivotally move between a closed position to close the opening and an open position wherein the door panel is received in the door-receiving space defined by the panel body underlying the compartment, permitting access to the compartment without compromising the space of a passenger. Additionally, the present invention allows the compartment to be accessible in the open position without contacting the passenger""s body. Thus, the present invention reduces an inconvenience of obstructing the path of a compartment door when it moves in the open position or an inconvenience of contacting the passenger""s body when the door is being opened.